Tympan for printing-presses.



S. E. DITTMAN.

TYMPAN FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO'. 8, 1913.

1,1 1 1,369, Patented Sept.' 22, 1914. l

SAMEL n. DITTMAN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

TYMPAN FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. DITTMAN, a citizen of; the lUnited States,and a residentof New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in 'Iympans forPrinting-Presses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon,which forma part of this specifi-v cation.

This invention relates to tympans for printing presses and particularlyfor those types of printing presses having platens with flat workingfaces.

A tympan embodying the features of my invention comprises two connected,flat tympan members or sheets, placedone over and upon the other. Theunder or bottom tympan sheet is placed against vand secured` flatwise tothe flatvworking face of a printing press platen and the overlay ormakeready is secured or applied to the front or outer facevof the same.`The top tympan sheet is placed flatwise over and upon the bottomrtympansheetand the make-ready, and is connected at one or moreof its marginswith the bottommtympan sheet, thereby inclosing the make-readyv betweensaid tympan sheets. A sheet of paper or the like, which is to receivethe impression, is placed against the front or outer face of the toptympan sheet and said top sheet is provided with paper guidesorl gagesadapted to engage the edges ofthe paper sheet or the like and removablyhold the papel` sheet inlposition on ,the toptympan sheet. By connectingthe top and bottom tympan sheets with each other, the make-ready is heldin fixed relation tothe paper guides that are attached to the top sheet.The top and bottom tympanl sheets are connected along one margin by afolded or hinged conf nection and the top tympan sheet may therefore belifted from the bottomv tympan sheet, for permitting access to be had tothe over'flay or make-ready on the bottom tympan sheet, withoutdisconnecting the top and bottomtympansheets or disturbing `the fixedrelation between the Amake-ready and the paper guides or gages'on thetop tympan sheet. Y The ltop and bottom tympan,

sheets Yfurther 1 have:` detachable connection Specification of LettersPatent.

when in use. Manifestly,

`is a perspective view structed 1n accordance 'nection along one margin,lpan sheet being shown ask lifted or raised nected along their gins;Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary secftional View, taken on line SMS' ofFig. 2;

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

Application inea Deeember s, 1913. serial No. 805,465.

`with each other along the non-joined or free `margins thereof, when thesaid tympan sheets are placed over each other,

thereby holding the said tympan sheets together the top tympan sheet 1sprevented `from raising from the bottom tympan sheet in the movement of:the platen to and from the printing form.

` The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter describedand moreparticu- :larly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure l of a tympan conwith my invention,the top and` bottom sheets thereof being shown as having a folded orhinged` conand the top tymfrom the bottom tympan sheet; Fig. 2 is a planview of said tympan with the top and bottom sheets thereof placed oneover and upon the other and detachably connon-joined or .free mar- Fig.4L is a fragmentary view of a printing press of the job or oscillatingplaten type, `showing the tympan constructed in accordance with myinvention placed against and secured to the working face of the platen;

1 the top and bottom tympan sheets are shown gas placed one over theother' and connected together with a make-ready or overlay in- ;closedbetween said sheets; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of theplaten and vapplied tympan shown in Fig. 4, the top 'tympan sheet beingbroken away to show the .make-ready therebeneath; Fig. 6 is afragmentary perspective view of the connected top and bottom sheetsofthe tympan, showing a member of cloth applied t0 the sheets forreinforcing the folded or hinged connection between said sheets.

Referring to the drawings illustrating in detail one preferred form o'my invention, the same comprises two flat sheets or mem 'bers l0, 1l,preferably equal in size. The

sheet constitutes the top sheet of the tym. pan, while the sheet l1 isthe bottom sheet thereof. Both of said tympan sheets may ybe made ofthick paper preferably of the oil or moisture-proof kind or any othermaterial desired, so that the same will be relatively rigid and `stiffthroughout and prevented jfrom. curling or being readily bent while inuse, yet liexible enough for the purposes intended. The top and bottomsheets 10, 11 are adapted to be placed one upon and over the other withthe marginal edges thereof coinciding. Said top and bottom tympan sheetsare connected or secured together along one margin thereof by a foldedor hinged connection, so that the top tympan sheet 10 may be lifted orraised from or placed against the bottom tympan sheet 11, withoutdisturbing the relation between the sheets. Said folded or hingedconnection is preferablymade by providing one of the sheets, along formsa part. The adjacent marginal portion of the other 4sheet is adapted tooverlap and be secured to said iiap 12.

As shown in the drawings, the bottom tympan sheet 11 is provided withthe flap 12 and the top tympan sheet 10 is secured thereto by anadhesive material yor other fastening means. Said top and bottom tympansheets 10, 11 are adapted to be further secured together, when placedover 'and upon each other, along their non-joined or free marginal edgesby detachable means which, as shown in the drawings, have the form of aplurality of registering, interlocking tongues 13, 14 on the top andbottom tympan sheets 1Q, 11, respectively. In other words, those marginsof the top and bottom tympan sheets which have detachable connection arethose margins parallel Withand at right angles to the joined margins.Each vtongue on each sheet is formed b making an inwardly directed,obliquely disposed incision or cut 15, 16v in the free or non-joinedmargins of the top and bottom tympan sheets. The incisions or cuts 15,in the free margins of the top sheet 10, are disposed at an angle to theassociated incisions or cuts 16, in the free margins of the bottom sheet11. Said incisions or cuts 15, 16 are so disposed with respect to eachother in the two sheets that the inner end of an incision in the topsheet 10 terminates substantially in registration with the correspondingend of an associated or adjacent incision or cut in the bottom sheet 11,when the said top and bottom tympan sheets 10,

11. areA in superposed relation, or placed one upon and over the other,and when so placed the associated or adjacent superposed incisions inboth sheets form, in effect, the sides` of a triangle with the innerends of the incisions substantially in registration and forming the'apex of said triangle. The tongues 13, 14, thus formed, may be flexedlaterally and inserted in the adjacent incisions or cuts in the adjacenttympan sheet, when the tympan sheets are placed against Y and over eachother, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Said tongues 13 ofthe top tympan sheetone of the margins thereof, with an integra-l flapy 12 adapted to befolded down against the tympan sheet of which it suitable means.l

10, when inserted in the incisions or cuts 15 in the bottom sheet 11,overlap the tongues 14 of the bottom tympan sheet, and said tonguesvserve to hold 0r connect the two sheets 10, 11 together along thosemargins other than the margins of the sheets connected by the hingedconnection, above described.l The tongues 13, 14 are'iiexed or bentlaterally substantially on the lines 17,

18 which constitute the bases of said tongues. (See Figs. 2, 3 and 4.)

the tongues 13, 14, the top tympan sheet 10 may be lifted ory raisedandA moved away from the bottom tympan Asheet 11 about the `hingedconnectionI between the two sheets.l

The tympan above described is used in the 'following manner: The bot-tomsheet 11 of the tympan is placed iatwise against and secured to the flatworking face 19 ,of a printing press platen 20. Said bottom tyinpaiisheet 11 is secured to said platen by any tongues 13, 14 of the twosheets being disengaged, the top tympan sheet 10 is lifted and yswungabove and from the bottom tympan.v -sheet 11. When the top and bottomtym- Upon disconnectingl (See Figs.v 4 and5.) y -The pan sheets 10, 11-are `moved apart, a makep ready 21 is then applied to the exposed orouter face of the bottom tympan sheet 11.

-After the make-ready is completed, the top tympan sheet 10 is swungdown over the make-ready and bottom tympan sheet 11 and the latter isconnected with said topy tympan sheetnllalong its free margins by meansof the interlocking of the tongues 13, (See Fig. 5.) `In Figs. 4 and 57the platen 20` shown is of the swinging or oscillating type usuallyfound in the job type of printing press, and said platen is swung intoand out of contact with the type or other printing form 23 carried bythe stationary part 22 of the press. The top tyinpan sheet 10 isprovided at proper points on its outer or exposed fiat face with paperguidesor gages 24, adapted to engagethe margins of -a paper sheet 25placed against the outer or front face of the top tympan sheet 10.removably hold and maintain the-paper j sheet 25 in position on the toptympan sheet 10, in the movement ofthe platen 20 toward Said paperguides or gages 24` and into contact with the printing form 23 inv Amaking an impression of said printing form on the said papersheet 25.gages 24 also hold the paper sheet 25 on'vthe top tympan sheet 10, inthe movement of` the' platen from said printing form after theimpression o-n ,the paper sheet `has been made. After the paper sheet 25receives the impression and the platen 20 has been moved from contactwith the printing forin'23, the said paper sheet 25 vis removed fromthetop tympan sheet 10.. by withdrawing the paper sheet from the guides orygages 24, and another paper sheet to lreceivey the impression Saidguides or is placed against the top` tympan sheet i with its edgesinsertedk in the gages or guides 24, as customary in the manipulation ofthis type of press. The gages or guides 24herem shown are of that kindwhich are secured to the tympan by adhesive material, and correspond inform with `the guides or gages which constitute the subject vmatter ofmy application, Serial No. 808,960, filed December 27, 1913, and need nodescription herein. It is is ofcourse to be understood that any form ofguide or gage may be used and I am not limited to the type of gage orguide shown. v

The top and bottom sheets l0, 11 of the tympan being connected along onemargin by a folded? or hinged connection, as above described, the vtoptympan sheet 10 may be lifted or raisedabove the bottom tympan sheet 11for the purpose of having access to the make-ready or overlay on thebottom tympan sheet 11, without disturbing the make-ready and bottomsheet to which it is applied. VThis may happen in case -it is foundthat'the impression is too light or too heavy in parts or throughout andit becomes necessary to either build up or tear down the make-ready'inparts or throughout. Moreover, by connecting the` top and bottom tympansheets by a folded or hinged connection, the top vtympan sheet, in beinglifted or swung above the bottom tympan sheet, does not disturb'oraffect the xed relation between the make-ready and the paper guides;

or gages 24 attached to the top tympan sheet. Furthermore, by providinga detachi able. connection between the free or non` united margins ofthe top andbottom tympan sheets 10, 11, in themanner above described,the two sheets may be connected together when placed one over and uponthek other and the top sheet prevented from raising up and down in theloscillatory movement of the platen. The bottom tympan sheet beingsecured to the platen, the make-y ready thereon is maintained in fixedrelation with respect to the printing form, and in raising or liftingthe top tympan sheet from the bottom tympan sheet this iiXed relationbetween the make-ready and the printing form is not disturbed oraffected.

In order to reinforce or strengthen the folded or hinged connectionbetween lthe top and bottom sheets 10,11 of the tympan, a strip of clothor the like may be employed for this purpose. As shown in Fig. 6 of thedrawingahe strip of cloth isindicated by 12a and is secured to the underside of the flap l2 and the adjacent face of the bottom tympan sheetl1.` Said cloth strip extends under and along the fold formed by thebo-ttom tympan sheet 11 and the integral flap 12.

By connecting the top tympan sheet 10 with the flap 12 on the bottomtympan sheet place of the one removed.

to the same bottom 11, said top tympan sheet may be removed from thebottom tympan sheet by disconnecting said top tympan sheet from saidflap 12 without removing` the bottom tympan sheet from the printingpress platen. It follows, therefore, that when a top tympan sheetbecomes too much worn or indented for further use, or when it is desiredto apply new paper gages for sheets of different size orshape, said toptympan sheet may be readily removed from the flap 12 and another or newtop sheet substituted in After the new top sheet is secured to the flap12, the paper guides or gages are applied to the outer face of the newtop sheet in position to support and maintain the paper top sheet inproper position with respect to. the make-ready and printing form. Insuch a case, should it be desired to print upon a larger paper sheet, itis only necessary to remove the top tympan sheet, in use, from the flap12 and replace said top tympan" sheet with another top sheet on whichthe paper guides or gages may be placed in position to support suchlarger paper sheet. The bottom sheet with the overlay thereon need notbe disturbed in the substitution of the top tympan sheets. Moreover, thebottom tympan sheet may be used for several jobs by applying differentoverlay` or make-ready sheets thereto. In color printing, for instance,the several make-ready sheets used onl the same job may be appliedsuccessively tympan sheet. In such case, one bottom tympan sheet may beused throughout the` printing job irrespective of the number of colorsused. One top tympan sheet may also be used for several bottom sheets,as for instance when it is not desired to disturb the make-ready on thebottom sheet, so that, in printing a `picture in several colors, theoverlays for the several colors may be placed on different bottomsheets, which, insuch case, will be used successively .with the same topsheet. The top tympan sheet, therefore, may be used for any number ofbottom sheets and not discarded until it becomes too greatly worn orindented for further use. By making the top and bottom tympan sheets ofboth water and oilproof paper stock, the sheets will not eX- pand by theaction of moisture or other cause. By reason of this fact, neither theposition of the paper guides or gages with respect to the overlay, northe position of the make-ready with respect to the printing form, willbe affected by expansion or contraction ofthe top or bottom tympansheets.

lt is of course understood that the various details of construction andarrangement of parts shown and described may be variously modified andchanged without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, andI do not wish to be limited to the exact sheet on said new` Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the detailsof construction and arrangement of parts shown, except in so far aspointed out inthe appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A tympan for printing presses,com prisingflat top and bottom sheets of stiff material adapted to be placed oneover'and upon the other, said tympan being adapted to be placed on thefiat face of a printing press platen with the bottom sheet of saidtympan attached to the flat face of said platen, and means providing ahinged connection for said sheets along one margin thereof independentof the means securing the bottom sheet to the platen.

2. Ay tympan for printing presses, comprising top and bottom sheetsadapted to be placed one over and upon the other, means providing ahinged connection for said sheets along one margin thereof, and meansproviding a hinged connection for said sheets along those marginsthereof at right angles to and parallel with the joined margins of saidsheets.

3. A tympan for printing presses, comprising top and bottom sheetsadapted to be placed one over and upon the other, and means providing ahinged connection for said sheets along one margin thereof ein* bracinga flap made integral with one of said sheets along one margin thereofand to which the other of said sheets is connected.

4. A tympan for printing presses, com prising top and bottom sheetsadapted to be placed one over and upon the other, means providing ahinged connection for said sheets along one margin thereof embracing aflap made integral With one of said sheets and to Which the other ofsaid sheets is connected, and means providingdetachable connection forsaid sheets along the non-joined margins thereof.

5. A tympan for printing presses, comprising top and bottom sheetsadapted to be placed one over andfupon the other, means providing ahinged connection for vsaid sheets along one margin thereof, and meansproviding ,detachable` connection for said sheets'along at least one ofthenon-joined Vand means providing detachable connection for said sheetsalong at lea'stone of the nonjoined margins thereof embracing'marginaltongues on said sheets adapted, When said .sheets are placed one overand `upon the other, to beinterlocked.

7. yA tympan for printing presses, com# be placed one upon and over ,theother,

`means providing hinged connection for the sheets alo-ng one marginthereof embracing Ka foldedmarginal flap on one of said sheets :and toWhiclithe other of said sheets is secured, and means for reinforeingthefold formed by said flap and sheet of which it `for-ms a part embracinga strip of cloth ap# 'plied over said fold and secured to said flap `andsheet. i

In testimony, that I, claim the'iforegoing lasmy invention I afliX mysignature -in the presence of tivo Witnesses,l -this 3rd day of`December A. D. 1913.

`Witnesses ,prising top and' bottom sheets adapted to' sAMUELV'E.Diirriiiiu.y n

ELivooD W. BAKER, y NELLIE H. EFROS.

L'Iommissionzkarl of IPatents,

Washington, D. C.

